WHAT HAPPENED?
De Bruyne has been the subject of intense transfer interest from the Saudi Arabia for some time now, amid the Pro League’s rapid and ambitious growth. With his contract expiring in 2025 and talks not yet underway over a renewal, it has been reported that efforts to bring the playmaker to the Middle East will be ramped up ahead of the summer, and surprisingly Man City could be persuaded to sell.
THE EXPLANATION
According to The Athletic, City would leap at an offer of around £90 million ($114m) regardless of his importance and quality, as he is an ageing player who is nearing the end of his contract at the Etihad. They have also previously shown a reluctance to negotiate longer-term new deals with players who are over the age of 30. Ilkay Gundogan, 33, departed for Barcelona on a free transfer last summer after the Cityzens left it too late to come to the table. De Bruyne is 32, and the club would remove the emotion from the situation if they felt he will soon be past his best.
DID YOU KNOW?
The report notes, however, that De Bruyne is not necessarily keen on a switch to Saudi Arabia, preferring to potentially end his career in MLS once he leaves Manchester. He could yet be persuaded to renew his contract with City, even on reduced terms. There are also question marks over whether a Saudi club would be willing to stump up what would be a league-record fee for the Belgian.
WHAT NEXT FOR DE BRUYNE AND CITY?
City are under no pressure to sell having raised funds through outgoing transfers in recent times, but De Bruyne’s recovery from hamstring surgery will likely have a bearing on their ultimate decision. In the meantime, the Saudi Pro League will seemingly push to land him and may well use his expiring contract as leverage in negotiations.
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